


Mutually Beneficial

by hopelessharrington



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Original Character(s), POV Original Female Character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-12
Updated: 2019-08-05
Packaged: 2020-06-26 22:38:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,149
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19777897
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hopelessharrington/pseuds/hopelessharrington
Summary: Billy needs help to pass Math and she needs help to seduce King Steve himself.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> (a pretty standard billy hargrove fic but it's canon divergent because I took out all the nasty stuff about Billy like the crazy billy stan I am at my core)

I have 180 days until I graduate. 

That’s the only thing I am capable of thinking on my first day back and so it’s the first thing I say at lunch. Marissa looks over her glasses at me and licks the corner of her lip, “who’s counting?”

“Gross! Don’t remind me.” Juliet talks over her, flapping her hands. Her blue eyes sparkle with challenge as they meet mine. “Guess what?” Customarily, she didn’t wait for a reply, “Ted just invited me to the Halloween Party, and he’s totally keen on you coming.”

She reaches across the table and takes my hand. I frown and begin, “Sorry, Jules, but…” She whips her hand away and shakes them out in a wildly over dramatic display. 

“Fine, I guess I’ll just be the only one enjoying my senior year.” 

Marissa makes a snide comment but I’m not paying attention, Steve and Nancy are sitting across the room. Everybody knows about them now and the reminder makes me feel sick. 

Juliet spins around, following my eyes. “Oh, gross.” She turns back to me, evidently forgetting about the Halloween party dispute, “to take my mind off that…” she breathes in slowly, “have you seen the new boy?”

I furrow my eyebrows meeting Marissa’s equally confused gaze, “No.”

She rocks backwards, her hands flying to her chest. “Oh. My. God… He is—well, as much as I wish he was, he’s no Steve or anything. But if maybe I just happened to fall into his lap at the Halloween Party he would certainly be good for a night—Steve obviously too but not like—“

“Yeah, okay, Juliet.” Marissa bites out. 

Juliet rolls her eyes. “Whatever, he’s hunky in like a beachy way.” 

I nodded. My stomach churning as Juliet’s eyes rove around the cafeteria for Steve. 

Thankfully, a distraction saunters into the room in perfectly fitted jeans. Juliet’s eyes zero in on him like a honing beacon and as she flashes her best smile. But his eyes are fixed on Steve’s table, seeming intent on stirring up trouble. 

I look down at my food, praying that Juliet wouldn’t make another comment about spending nights with Steve, lest my lunch end up out of my stomach. Somehow she hears my prayers and instead spins around and said, “Anyway, about Halloween—and don’t start making excuses—when was the last time you went to a party?” 

I shake my head but happily welcome the vapid conversation, “Who cares? I have Sam to watch anyway.” 

“Come on, he’s fifteen he can jerk off in his creepy friend’s basement without you as chaperone.” Marissa replies with a groan. 

“What? You’re going to go—give up on Yale?” I narrowed my eyes.

She straightens and stares at me incredulously. “Give up? Oh my god, you’re insane. It’s one party, on a Friday night, in our senior year.” 

Juliet nods along like a bobble-head, “Yeah! One night, don’t be so lame all the time.”

I shake my head, glancing over her shoulder to see Steve’s arm around Nancy as they manoeuvre out of the cafeteria. He turns, presumably to sling an insult at Billy who sitting there with a smug grin, but his eyes meet mine. 

For a moment, the air is sucked from my chest. But, he looks away.


	2. Chapter 2

“Okay, look here’s all the scary movies I have.” I announce dumping three in his lap.

Sam rolls his eyes, “Get lost, already.”

I hear a car honk out the front and he raises his eyebrows. 

“Screw you, I don’t want someone to break in and kill you or I’ll get in trouble,” I snap.

“No one’s going to kill me, dipshit,” he hesitated, "maybe starvation.” He shoots me a look over the back of the sofa.

“You can’t order pizza on your own, I’ll kill you myself if I see the box.” Now I was just killing time .

Another honk. “Jesus, piss off before I kill myself.”

"Fine, whatever.” I suck in a deep breath and walk out the door throwing a final, “bye, asshole” over my shoulder. 

Pulling my legs up against my chest, I squeezed myself into Marrisa’s mom’s car and sat sandwiched between two baby seats. Marissa, like the ever evolving enigma she was, apparently likes parties now. I suspect a certain red head she spends all of math staring at. Regardless, she drives at breakneck speed and before I could blink we were pulling up.

“Ew, it smells like vomit.” 

“Shut up, Marissa, that’s just what parties smell like.”

She wasn’t wrong; the front yard reeked of it. It was only nine and I’d left Sam at home with no idea when I’d be getting back. My nerves about this party were getting worse by the second. 

Someone I vaguely recognised swung open the door and barrelled out onto the lawn, emptying his guts into the garden. I groaned and Juliet elbowed me sharply. 

“You’ll be fine once you’ve had a drink. You won’t want to leave, I bet!” She exclaimed, grabbing my hand and dragging me in. 

I knew her too well, she’d be off in a second, all over whoever would pay her a second of attention. And Marissa drinks herself into a stupor in five seconds. Why the fuck did I come?

Hours seem like weeks. It feels like months have passed when it finally reaches one o’clock—the pre-ordained time of departure. I scan the room gleefully, but then I spot her, our designated driver drunk and sprawled across some guy’s lap. 

Nice. 

I get another drink and head outside to vomit tainted air that is somehow fresher than inside. I slide down the garage door and draw my knees up to my chest, cradling the cup between my knees. I shouldn’t have come. Exhaustion seeps into my bones but I force myself to stay awake.

I hear the door open but keep my gaze fixed on the liquid in my cup. 

“Hey, 4.0”

My drunken brain rolls the statement around for a second too long. 

“Are you awake?” A warm body slides down the wall next to me. 

I hum in reply, distracted by the overwhelming smell of beer and cigarettes that seems to melt my brain. 

He nudges me, “alive?”

I finally turn to look at him, but his face swims before me. Only anchored by the beautiful blue eyes that feel like the ocean. Trying to steady myself, I turn away and let out a slow breath.

“Unfortunately,” I whisper in reply. 

He chuckles and he’s so close I feel the sound rumble in his chest. “If you’re sober enough I have a proposition.” 

This piques my interest. “I am. What is it?”

“I’m failing math.” He sighs and now he’s sitting so close I feel it against my skin. “And I heard you’re a math genius, so—”

I cut him off, “I won’t tutor you.”

“Why not?” He replies and rolls his bottom lip between his teeth. 

“I hate it.” The words roll out before I can stop them, before I can tell him that I need to work, or about my extra curriculars.

He’s quiet for a moment, I can feel his eyes on my face. So, I take the cup from between my knees and sip from it. He watches me intently before he speaks. 

“There’s no way I can change your mind?”

I shake my head. Then he shifts so he’s speaking against the shell of my ear, “Maybe I can teach you something.”

My brain melts and I freeze. As he opens his mouth to continue, I feel his lips brush against my skin. But he’s cut short by the frustrating sound of Marissa's voice. 

“Get up, we’re leaving.” She grabs my arm and yanks me up. I spill my cup on the floor but allow myself to be dragged away from the intoxicating warmth of him.

Shit, what’s his name?


	3. Chapter 3

“Um, do you mean Billy Hargrove?” Juliet asks and glances away from the road to meet my eye, her brow furrowed.

I twist my fingers in my lap and frown, “I don’t know, he didn’t tell me his name.”

“Tall? Tight jeans? Great ass?” She asks as we pull into the school.

I turn to answer her but spot him, walking into the front doors. I nod, “Yeah, great ass.”

Juliet snickers as she pulls in and jumps out. Marissa, oblivious to us, is walking past and nearly falls over as Juliet throws her arm around her. “

Guess what?” She says, with a mischievous glimmer in her eyes.

Marissa moves out of her arms. “What?”

Juliet glances at me quickly and then back to her, "Maggie was propositioned last night by," she says, carefully enunciating each word, "Billy Hargrove." She draws out each syllable, then turns to me with a smug grin.

Marissa licks the corner of her lip and looks at me, her expression reads: _elaborate._

“He asked me to tutor him,” I say, nonchalantly even as my chest contracts.

I already told Juliet, but regardless she squeals as if this is first she’s heard of it. “I knew that 4.0 would pay off!”

I roll my eyes at her and push past them and through the front doors. The rest of the day is uneventful, each class drags on until my free period.

I’m hunched over an advanced calculus textbook when he finds me. “4.0,” He whispers, right beside my ear.

I exhale slowly before I turn to him, “what?”

Spinning a chair out from beside me, he sits.

“Have you thought about my offer?”

“It’s still a no, I can’t tutor you.”

He leans toward me, “You don’t do charity? Fine, I can pay.”

I shake my head. “No, I won’t tutor you. No matter what.”

Just as I speak a familiar laugh cuts through the air. Instinctively, I turn to face him. Steve Harrington, who I’ve strategically sat diagonal from so that I can watch him study. The way he chews his pens relentlessly and bounces his leg when he can’t understand something. I would tutor him, any day. That thought brings me back to reality. Slowly, I turn back to face Billy.

He’s watching me, a smug grin on his face. “Harrington?”

“What? He’s being loud.” I say, trying to seem annoyed. “This is a library.”

He’s still smiling. “Yeah? You weren't looking at him like that because you're into him, right? You don’t ever think about, King Steve.” He licks his lips, “Never think about him touching you? _Fucking_ you?”

My cheeks are bright red. I glance at Steve, but he’s still talking to someone. Nancy is beside him, looking across the room and drumming her fingers on the table.

I turn back to Billy, hoping my cheeks have cooled down. “Whatever, he’s dating Nancy.”

“That won’t last long,” Billy replies, watching them.

Suddenly, his eyes light up. “I’ll cut you a deal,” he begins, “You help me pass math, and I’ll help you win Harrington's heart.”

I almost think about before abruptly shaking my head. “No, no way. Steve’s your polar opposite, how would you even be able to help me?”

“Trust me, princess, all guys want the same thing.” He licks his lips.

“No, Billy,” I say, picking up my books. “Don’t annoy me again.”

I find Juliet sitting in her car, she throws her hands up in the air: _Where have you been?_

I slide into the passenger seat, “Billy Hargrove.”

Naturally, this isn’t a sufficient answer. “What did he say? Is he hitting on you? No wonder, you're so hot! Look, aren't you glad I told you not to dye your hair, you're welcome, this wouldn’t have happened if it was red—“

“No, Juliet. Jesus, slow down on the coffee.” I eye the cup in her hand. “He just wanted to bug me about the tutoring again.”

Then a soft rap at the window draws my attention away from her. Steve Harrington is standing there, hunched over to peer into the car, a warm smile spread across his face. I wind down the window hastily.

“Hey, Steve. What’s—“ I begin, but Juliet cuts me off as she leans over me to talk to him.

“The assignment?” She asks, in her most flirtatious voice.

He nods, I let them talk over me and I look at Juliet. She’s all perfect creamy skin and blonde hair. Bright blue eyes that exude personality. Steve has the same softness, a calmness that pervades the space around him. Nancy, Juliet. _Shit_.

Finally, they finish and Steve meets my eyes, my chest swells. “Sorry…” he hesitates, eyes glancing up to Juliet.

“Maggie,” I remind him and ignore the sting in my chest.

As we drive away, Juliet gushes about Steve and I roll Billy’s offer around in my head. The next day, he’s standing beside my locker. He begins talking but I cut him off.

“Fine.”


End file.
